Road maintainer



June 8 1926. 1,587,625

J. D. ADAMS ET AL ROAD MAINTAINER Filed Sept. 6, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. D. ADAMS ET AL June 8 1926.

ROAD MAINTAINER Filed Sept. 6, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,587,625 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH.' D. ADAMS AND ROY E. ADAMS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA; ROY E. ADAMS AND WILLIAM R. ADAMS, EXECUTORS 0F SAID JOSEPH D. ADAMS, DECEASED, AS- SIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO J'. I). ADAMS 8c COMPANY, PARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF ROY E. ADAMS, WILLIAM RAY ADAMS, LEONA II. ADAMS, AND HELEN,J. ADAMS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

y ROAD MAINTAINER.

Application led September 6, 1919. Serial No. 322,050.

It is the object of our invention to provide a road maintainer in which the action of the parts may be fully controlled, the several parts may be independently adjusted to suit conditions, the scraper blades are carried in part on wheels so that their action may be maintained more uniform, both sides of the road may be dragged at once, proper crowning of the road may be obtained, and in general, flexibility and certainty in operation and control may be obtained.

Our present invention is to a large extent an improvement and development of the invention shown in our prior Patent No. 968,912, granted August 30, 1910.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a road maintainer embodying our invention, with the front drags swung together; Fig. 2 is a plan view of such road maintainer with the parts in full operating position: Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shoe on the rear drag.

The maintainer comprises in general a central rear drag 10 and two forward drags 11 and 12 arranged on the left and right sides. Y

The rear drag 10 has a main frame 15 provided at the rear with two carrying wheels 16 mounted on steering knuckles 17 pivoted to such frame 15 and interconnected by a link 18 which may be moved from side to side to control the wheels 16 by a control lever 19 working on a notched quadrant 2O and connected by a link 21 and a bell-crank angle piece 22 to the link 18. The frame 15 is in general V-shaped, and its front ends are pivoted to the front ends of a horizontally curved scraper blade 23 which has its concave side forward and its forward ends interconnected by a strut 24 which holds such front ends apart. At each front corner the curved scraper blade 23 is provided with a pivoted shoe 25 which is suitably vertically adjustable with respect to the scraper blade, as by being provided near its rear end with a vertical rod26 provided with a series of holes 27 any of which may. receive a pin 28 for attaching it to a suitable support on the scraper blade. The center of the curved scraper blade 23 is connected by a link 29 to the forwardly projecting arm 30 from a control lever 31 co-operating with a notched quadrant 32 located beside the notched quadrant 20. The frame 15 may carry an operators seat 33 to support the operator in convenient relation to the two control levers 19 and 31. The adjustment of the control lever 31 moves the rear central portion of the scraper blade 23 up or down, to control the crowning of the road. The front corners of the scraper blade 23 are maintained at the proper height and are prevented from digging too deeply into the road by the supporting shoes 25. At the two ends of the strut 24 there are provided eyes for receiving the rear ends of chains 35, for attaching the rear drag to the front drags, behind and between which the rear drag travels.

Each front drag comprises a quadrilateral frame 36. vhich at its two outer corners is provided with caster wheels 37 and which at its rearward and forward inner corners is provided with eyes for ren ceiving the forwardend of one of the chains 35 and the rearward end o-f a chain 38 extending forward to a suitable attaching point 39 on the rear of a tractor 40, of which only a fragment is shown. Associated with each frame 36 is a pair of scraper blades 41 and 42, of which the front blade 41 is preferably flat and the rear blade is preferably vertically concave on its forward side though vthis is not essential.`

The scraper blades extend beneath the frame 36, between the two caster wheels 37, the line of which caster wheels crosses .such scraper blades at a point somewhat offset outwardly from the middle thereof. The scraper blades are provided near their inner ends with uprights 43 which are loosely pivoted to that member of the frame 36 extending between the chains 35 and 38; and they are also provided with similar uprights 44 near their outer ends, which uprights are connected by a link 45. Preferably the frame member extending between the chains has loose joints with the other frame members.V Near their middles, the scraper blades are provided with uprights 46 and 47, which are crossconnected by a pair of links 48 and 49; andthe upright 46 is extended upward to provide an oper- .are inter-connected by a`link 55.

47 and-thereforeof the,scraper-blades '4l f and 42 mayx'be '.varied :as desired. Vthe scraperbla'des'i4l'f and 42,.here .the for- One of ward blade 4l, is connected near its fouter end by a curved link 52 to the frame 36,

most conveniently to the rearwardparrtofy that member of the frame which extends between the two casterV wheels`3'7. By this link at theouter lendof the blades, the links connectingthe twoscraperiblades, and the pivotal connections of the uprights 43 to the frame 36 atthe inner endsfof the blades, the two scraperblades and the frame all move forward together. .ln order'- to control the height of the outer ends of thescraper blades, the two blades near such ,outer ends are connected by links '58 to @bell-'crank angle pieces 54 `pivotedA to that member vof the frame 36 which extends between the two caster wheels 37.and these two angle pieces One of the angle pieces 54 has fixed thereto an upwardly extending.operating handle 56 which co-operates with anotchedfquadrant 57 carried bythe `frame `memberion which such two anglepieees are pivoted. By manipulation of thehandle 56the bell-crank angle pieces 54 are tnrnediandthe outer ends of the scraper blades ,41 and 42 are .raised or lowered with relationto the 4frame 86. The'inner ends of the scraper blades travel on the ground, and'carry Lpart oftheir own weight and of .the weight ,of the frame 36. The yframes 36 are dragged forward bythe'tractor 40, by the chains 38 and by chains 58 which connect .the outer. ends of 4the two forjwlard blades `4l ofzthe front drags to a cross bar 59 on the rear of the tractor 40, in rwhichfcross bar 59 thecattachingpoint 39 is also-located. This cross bar 59' is provided with a series of holes 60 for receivingthe shackles V6l-,to

which the forward ends of the chains 58v .are attached, so that the angles Aof such chains`58 vmay be varied, .and such chains 58 may be varied in `effective length', as by passing variable length portions thereof through, such shackles 6l. -By thus varying `theanglea-nd length of the chains 58, any

desired angle of the scraper blades 4l and 42 tothe direction of .travel may be obtained. In order to keepthefront drags 4land 42 .at the proper distance apart, the two frames 36am connected by a link 62, which is con vcniently formed of-twolengths of gas pipe telescoping. one fin theother and variable in length by the insertion of a pin Y63 in different sets of holes 64 with which such telescoping pipelengths are provided.

InopcratiOn, the vtractor 40 travels inthe direction of the arrow, and draws the three be adjusted.

, supported, its'remaining weight being carried by its Aown contact with the ground either directly asiin" the case of the front drags or by the shoes 25 as inthe case of the=rear drag. By proper manipulation of the control levers 50 of the front drags, the

`anglesfof the scraper blades fi-l and 42 of such drags may be controlled. By proper rmanipulation ofthe control levers 56, the

height of the outer ends of the scraper blades 4l and 42 may be adjusted relatively to the associated fra-mes 36; the inner ends of such scraper blades always travel on the ground. By adjusting the shoes .25, `the height ofthe free front ends of the curved scraper blade 23 of the rear drag may be set to anything desired. By manipulating'the control lever 3l, theheight of therear center part of the curved scraper blade 23 may By .adjusting the control lever 19, the direction of travel ofthe wheels i6 may be adjusted to cause the ydevice as a whole to travel straight ahead or to swing to either side as conditions require. In case it is necessary topass over a narrow portion of the road, as for instance beneath abridge 65, the inner chains 38 and one end of the link 62 may be disconnectedvand the forward ends of the blades 4l and 42 raised so that the weight is carried on the wheels 37, whereupon the two front drags l1 and l2swing together andin substantially parallel position, as shown in Fig. l, in which position they may be attached together by a short hook `66. The blades '41 and 42 of both front Scrapers are now substantially in line with the direction of travel, so that they produce little or no scraping action; but the rear drag may still be operated, if

desired, to produce itscrowning action on yblades thereof engaging the ground and the outer ends being held clear of the4 ground by the wheels 37. After the Vfront drags have swung out'to the desired positions, they are re-connected by the link 62. The various adjustments of the several scraper blades involve relative movements between parts out of any single phase. This is readily taken care of by making the various pivot pins where such movement is involved loosefitting in their pivot holes.

`We claim as our invention:

ree

lill) 1. A road maintainer, comprising two forward side drags and a central rear drag, each of said drags including a scraper blade and a ground-engaging frame with relation to which said scraper blade is adjustable.

2. In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags and a central rear drag, each of said drags including a scraper blade which carries part of its own weightby engagement with the ground and a frame associated with said scraper blade and engaging the ground to carry the remainder of the weight of said scraper blade.

In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags and a central. rear drag, each of said drags including a scraper' blade which carries part of its own weight by engagement with the ground and a frame associated with said scraper blade and engaging the ground to carry the remainder of the weight of said scraper blade, and means for adjusting the relative heights of a part of each scraper blade with respect to its associated frame, another part of such scraper blade being of substantially fixed height with respect to its associated frame.

4t. In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags and a central rear drag, each of said drags including a scraper blade which carries part of its own weight by engagement with the ground and a frame associated with said scraper blade and engaging the ground to carry the remainder of the weight of said scraper blade, and means for adjusting a part of each scraper blade vertically relatively to its associated frame.

5. In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags and a central rear drag, each of said drags including a scraper blade which carries part of its own weight by engagement with the ground and a ground-traveling carrying wheel on which another part of the weight of the scraper blade is carried.

6. In a road maintainer,n the combination of two forward side drags having oblique scraper blades, and a central rear drag behind and between the two forward drags and having a. horizo-ntally curved scraper blade with its concave face forward, said curved blade being adapted to form the curved crown of a road.

7. In a road maintainer, the combination of a central drag having a horizontally curved scraper blade, and two side drags having oblique scraper blades, said curved blade being adapted to form the curved crown of a road.

8. In a road maintainer, the combination of a central drag having a horizontally curved scraper blade, and two side drags having oblique scraper blades, said central drag being provided with means for adjusting the relative heights of the middle and ends of the curved scraper blades.

9. In a road niaintainer, the combination of a central drag having a horizontally curved scraper blade, and two side drags having oblique scraper blades, said central drag being provided with means for adjusting the relative heights of the middle and ends of the curved scraper blades, said central drag being arranged so that the concave side of said horizontally curved scraper blade is forward.

10. In a road drag, the combination of a scraper blade, a carrying frame which enga'ges the ground, said frame and scraper blade being associated so that under all circumstances the blade carries part of its weight and so that the frame may carry part of the weight of the blade, and means for adjusting the relative height of said frame and a part of said scraper blade.

11. In a road drag, the combination of a scraper blade, a ground-traveling wheel associated with the scraper blade so that it may carry part of the weight thereof while always permitting the scraper blade to carry part of its own weight, and means for adjusting the relative height of said wheel and a part of said scraper blade.

12. In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags and a central rear drag, said three drags being interconnected and each having a scraper blade, a wheel associated with said rear drag, and means for guiding said wheel to control the path of travel of the several drags.

13. In a road drag, the combination of a frame, a carrying wheel for the rear part of said frame, and a scraper blade pivotally connected to the forward part of said frame and riding on the ground to support said forward part, said scraper blade being curved between its two points of attachment to said frame, and means for adjusting the height of the middle portion of said scraper blade with respect to said frame.

14. In a road drag, a frame provided at one end with a carrying wheel, a scraper blade connected at one portion to the other end of said frame to support it, and means for adjusting another portion of said scraper blade with respect to the wheel-supported end of said frame.

15. In a road drag, a frame provided at one end with a carrying wheel, a scraper blade connected at one portion to the other end of said frame to support it, means for adjusting another portion of said scraper blade with respect to the wheel-supported end of said frame, and means for adjusting the angle of said scraper blade with respect to the'ground.

16. In a road maintainer, the combination of two forward side drags having oblique scraper blades, and a central rear drag behind and between the two forward drags and having` a horizontally curved scraper blade, said Curved blade being adapted to forni the curved Vcrown of a road.

17. In a road drag, the combination of a horizontally curved scraper blade, and a iframe associated with said scraper blade so that it may support an intermediate part thereof, and means for adjusting the relation between said fraine and blade to vary the relative heights of the ends and the l@ intermediate part of the curved blade.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at Indianapolis, India-na, this 2nd day of September, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

JOSEPH D. ADAMS. ROY E. ADAMS. 

